Chef Franco Taruschio’s Laverbread Cockle Fritters at The Chef’s Room Fish and Cookery School at Blaenavon, south Wales
LAVERBREAD AND COCKLE FRITTERS
5 oz. Self-raising Flour
1 Egg
1 oz. Parmesan Cheese
1 T Laverbread
4 to 5 oz. Shelled Cooked Cockles
1 litre Sunflower or Grapeseed Oil
Make a batter with the flour, egg, salt and pepper and a little water, add the grated parmesan cheese then add the laverbread and cockles. Mix together well and deep fry by the dessert-spoonful in hot sunflower oil. Transfer to kitchen paper to drain and serve at once.
Chef Franco Taruschio’s oysters and laverbread at The Chef’s Room Fish and Cookery School at Blaenavon, south Wales, photo by Scott W. Clemens
GRATIN OF OYSTERS WITH LAVERBREAD
Serves 4
24 Oysters
3.5 oz. Butter
1 Shallot Finely Chopped
1 T Finely Chopped Parsley
Juice of ½ Lemon
Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper
7 oz. Laverbread
2 oz. Fresh Fine White Bread Crumbs
Open the oysters reserving half their juice, discarding the rest, and place them in the deepest shell halves. Discard the shallow halves. Mix together the butter, onion, parsley lemon juice and the oyster juice. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the mixture over half the oysters, and top with a small spoonful of laverbread. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cook in the oven 400F for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden. Serve at once.
Chef Franco Taruschio’s Crescenti at The Chef’s Room Fish and Cookery School at Blaenavon, south Wales, photo by Scott W. Clemens
CRESCENTE WITH TOMATO, ANCHOVY AND BASIL
Makes 18
Crescente can be served with prosciutto, salami, tomato and basil or a fresh cheese. This dough does not have to be used up straight away, as it will keep for 2 days.
Ingredients for crescente
1 lb. ‘0’ grade flour
1 tsp. salt
good pinch bicarbonate of soda
½ c. milk
extra virgin olive oil
salt
Ingredients to serve on top of crescente
1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
olive oil and salt
small bunch of basil leaves
1 tin anchovy fillets cut into thin strips 1 inch long
Method
Knead the flour, salt, bicarbonate and milk together to make dough. Wrap in a cloth and leave to rest in the fridge for 1 hour. Break off pieces of dough the size of a golf ball and roll out into discs about 7 inches in diameter. Heat a little extra virgin oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan. Fry the discs, one at a time, until golden on both sides; they will bubble all over. Change the oil in the pan every 2 or 3 discs. Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and serve at once.
Score the tomato skins and plunge into just boiled water. When the skin starts to lift, remove the tomatoes from the water and peel them. Cut in half and discard the seeds and cut out any hard bits. Cut the tomato into small dice. Transfer to a salad bowl, add olive oil, salt and tear basil leaves, mix once and leave to stand for an hour or until required.
PERSIMMON SALAD
Serves 4
For this salad use only a variety of persimmon which, even when not very ripe, is palatable; the others are terribly astringent. If you are doubtful as to the type of persimmon, use a Sharon fruit but not a rock hard one please.
Ingredients
2 Sharon fruit cut into wedges
3 oz. arugula
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Parmesan shavings
To Serve
Arrange the Sharon fruit wedges and arugula on a platter, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and top with Parmesan shaving.
Chef Franco Taruschio’s Tagliatelli and Squash at the Chef’s Room Fish & Cookery School in Blaenavon, Wales, photo by Scott W. Clemens
TAGLIATELLE WITH SQUASH AND WALNUT SAUCE
Serves 4
1 lb. tagliatelle per person
1 lb. thinly sliced butter nut squash or pumpkin 5cm long
4 shallots finely chopped
extra virgin olive oil
12 to 20 leaves fresh marjoram
12 large basil leaves shredded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan and gently cook the shallots until softened. Add the squash and herbs, quickly stir fry (squash should remain al dente). Add the pasta to the sauce and mix in thoroughly. Serve with the walnut sauce (see recipe below) and parmesan shavings on top.
Walnut Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
24 to 30 walnut halves chopped BY HAND
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 generous bunch flat parsley finely chopped
1 pinch dried chili flakes
6 oz. extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Mix all together
Chef Franco Taruschio making Mascarpone Figs at The Chef’s Room Fish and Cookery School at Blaenavon, south Wales, photo by Scott W. Clemens
GRILLED FIGS WITH MASCARPONE FICHI CON MASCARPONE
Makes 8
Ingredients
8 large ripe figs
1 tsp. rum per fig
A dusting of g round cinnamon per fig
1 T mascarpone per fig
1 tsp. of brown sugar per fig
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Petal the figs by cutting them in quarters, not quite through, and pull the skin back fro the flesh being careful not to break it. In the middle of each fig flower put 1 teaspoon rum, a dusting of cinnamon, then a tablespoon of mascarpone. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of brown sugar on top of the mascarpone and set under a very hot grill until the sugar melts. Dust with a little cocoa powder and serve at once.
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